More Good News for the Bluebirds

24 December 2011 12:26

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The figures relating to arrests at matches during the 2010/11 season were released by the Home Office earlier today and they revealed more good news for Cardiff City Football Club.

A total of 44 Bluebirds supporters were arrested at league and cup matches last season, which is the lowest tally for many years. Although the figure was the joint fourth-highest in the Championship, it nevertheless represents a significant improvement on previous seasons.The list of the twenty Premier League and Football League clubs with the most arrests in 2010/11 reads as follows:276 – Manchester United149 – Leeds United126 – Sunderland123 – Newcastle United108 – Manchester City107 – Arsenal103 – Aston Villa74 – Birmingham City74 – Chelsea70 – Stoke City68 – West Ham United66 – Liverpool52 – Bolton Wanderers51 – Millwall50 – Wolverhampton Wanderers49 – Middlesbrough48 – Tottenham Hotspur45 – Everton44 – Bristol City44 – Cardiff CityThe Championship arrest figures were:149 – Leeds United51 – Millwall49 – Middlesbrough44 – Bristol City44 – Cardiff City41 – Burnley35 – Swansea City34 – Nottingham Forest27 – Coventry City26 – Queens Park Rangers26 – Sheffield United25 – Crystal Palace25 – Derby County23 - Barnsley23 – Leicester City22 – Portsmouth20 – Ipswich Town20 – Preston North End18 – Hull City15 – Doncaster Rovers12 – Norwich City11 – Reading8 – Watford5 – Scunthorpe UnitedCardiff City’s arrest figures break down as follows:14 – Public disorder10 – Alcohol offences10 – Violent disorder5 – Pitch incursions2 – Missile throwing2 – Offences against property1 – Racist of indecent chantingThese figures represent a massive improvement on previous seasons. The total numbers of City fans arrested during the last five campaigns were:2006/07 – 892007/08 – 902008/09 – 892009/10 – 1172010/11 – 44The improvement in the behaviour of the club’s supporters since the move from Ninian Park to the Cardiff City Stadium is evidenced by the fact that just nineteen fans were arrested during home matches in 2009/10 and 2010/11 combined. The figures for the past five seasons were as follows:2006/07 – 442007/08 – 252008/09 – 312009/10 – 82010/11 – 11There were 61 new banning orders imposed upon Cardiff City fans during 2010/11, which was the highest number in all four divisions. Chelsea came second in the list with 58 fresh banning orders. Those figures are no great surprise as the majority of the banning orders for both clubs relate to arrests made following the trouble at the FA Cup third round fixture in February 2010. Most of the supporters who were charged with offences after that match were prosecuted during the 2010/11 campaign, hence the large numbers of banning orders.Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the latest set of figures from Cardiff’s point of view is the large reduction in the number of arrests for offences involving violence and public disorder. The totals for the last five seasons were:2006/07 – 622007/08 – 642008/09 – 572009/10 – 852010/11 – 24These figures are a great credit to Cardiff City’s officials and stewards, the South Wales Police and the majority of the club’s fans. A huge amount of work has been done in recent years in an attempt to improve the behaviour of the Bluebirds’ support and that work has been paying dividends, as the latest Home Office statistics demonstrate. Hopefully, those in authority at other clubs and police forces around the country will start to take notice of these figures and the restrictions our fans often have to face when we travel to away games will be relaxed accordingly.